Take It Or Leave It

If faith was not given as a gift, but you had to will it or reason it true, then it would be your fault that your prayer heals no one.

Faith is taught this way by most teachers, and preachers.

If faith is not given as a gift, then accepting Jesus Christ as God would be clearly up to you. For to receive salvation, you would have to "accept" it by your will, wisdom, knowledge, or reason.

This is also taught by most teachers and preachers.

If you have to work at it in ANY fashion to "recieve" salvation, then who are you really trusting in?

Sure, you can trust God to "offer" the salvation, but if you must put it the effort, the event doesn't happen without you.

"Is it a good deal?"

You must trust in you.

Do you see the problem?

Does this even remotely sound like something Jesus taught?

Here's the rub. If salvation is obtained by faith alone, and not by any effort, then effort becomes a deterrent toward salvation. This means that any thought, study, or heart felt action that you do to secure a salvation that is by faith alone, then you cannot possess the necessary faith to be saved!

You must trust in Him. Not anything or anyone else...especially you.

So, even if say, Jesus offers salvation to everyone, yet only the wise recieve it, then are they wise because of God, or themselves?

Again, if each of us have anything to do with salvation, then our effort is essential, and faith in Jesus is not the only means necessary to be saved.

You can either take it or leave it. Since everyone already has access to it, then salvation is clearly up to you, and what you do.

This belief opposes the grace of God completely. You are in fact taking some credit for the grace that is given...through faith.

Even the wisdom to accept God's grace comes from Him, and Him alone.

Faith IS the gift, grace is delivered through that gift. Faith is the delivery vehicle.

Yes, this means that only those who God gives faith to will be saved.

He picks.

He picks who He wants. When He wants. Where He wants, and why He wants.

We have nothing to do with it.

We can take no credit for it.

We did not deserve it.

Even our "accepting it" happens by His hand.

Not by works.

Aside from holding to bad teaching that elevates self, it's easy to realize the polluted viewpoint, by how we view ourselves compared to the lost.

Do we look down on those who cannot see or understand?

"You people need to wake up!"

If we do, it is because we think we did something they did not. We saw the truth by our wisdom, knowledge, study, or intelligence.

We took it.

Faith is sight. Walking by faith is walking by sight...by the Spirit.

We "know" it's true. It has nothing to do with our will, intent, or effort. That understanding is given by God The Father. It IS the Holy Spirit. Without Him, you would never see it.

We are saved by grace...not by effort, so no one can boast.

boast

verb

• 1. talk with excessive pride and self-satisfaction about one's achievements, possessions, or abilities.

Salvation has nothing to do with "taking" or "leaving." It only requires the giving. You do not even possess the ability to reject it if it's given.

You don't.

"But people reject Jesus all the time!"

Yes, they do. Why? Because they were not given the faith to recieve it.

They can't take it...or leave it.

God is the giver.

If you have real faith in God through Jesus, you will see this. You know that you did nothing. You know you did not deserve it. You know that grace hit you when you needed it most.

You just saw.

You just understood.

Salvation is not for sale to everyone.

Why then, go back and lean on your effort, because a "teacher" said that you did it? That you accepted it?

That faith was something you did...

Simple..."If you eat this, you will become like God..."

You can take it or leave it.